About this Activity

Fancy unique blends of cocktails made from the most exquisite alcohol in the city? What did you say? Been there done that? Well, sure you have when it comes to whiskey, gin and vodka. But Chicago's newest micro-distillery, Rhine Hall, has something special in store with their Grappa and brandy cocktail class. Tour the distillery to experience the creation of Brandy and Grappa made from delicious local apples. Using the finest handmade mixers and bitters from local produce and homemade syrups, this is as real as it gets!

Sip delightful new flavors straight up, or dive into the intricate world of cocktail creation by getting a lowdown on dilution and temperature, flavor pairing, mixing, stirring and shaking. Saving the best for the last, end the class by tasting your signature cocktail! Scoot over old cocktails. It's time for some new cocktail magic!

Note: You must be 21 years or older to take this class.

Key Highlights

Price

$55.00 per guest

Duration / Session

45 min

# Sessions

1

Rating

9 positive reviews

Cancellation Policy

There are no refunds; all sales are final.

Reviews

(out of 9 votes)

Russel B.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassMarch 13, 2017

If you are a fan of distilled spirits this is a definite stop for your visit to Chicago. Rhine hall is relatively new player to Chicago's community of craft distillers but is their regional and sustainable approach to producing small batch brandies is resulting in some great products. Their tasting room is cozy and charming and most importantly, right next to their production facility with a wide open view of their operation. Proprietor Jenny Solberg-Katzman (who is there most days) was able to share the great background of how her family history and tradition of making brandy for their personal consumption lead to her passion for apple brandy and ultimately to start Rhine Hall.

With the recent renaissance in craft cocktails, these brandies make a perfect alternative choice to producing traditional cocktail favorites. I had an old fashioned and it was fabulous. Of course, if you are more of a purist, you can order a flight and try several of their brandies neat. My personal favorites are the barrel aged apple brandy, barrel aged grappa and the cherry brandy.

We were lucky enough to catch Jenny when she wasn't too busy but just to be safe you may want to sign up for a tour. I highly encourage it because the story of brandy (eau de vie) is quite different than beer, wine or more traditional spirits.

Tess P.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassOctober 24, 2016

Absolutely incredible drinks, atmosphere, and service. Fabulous place to take guests or friends interested in a true authentic Chicago experience. Shout out to Ellen Evangeledis for making the best cocktails I've had to date. Beyond tasteful libations, Ellen is also a delight. Perhaps the thing I love most about Rhine hall is the lack of separation between employee and customer. It feels comfortable and relaxing. Definitely swing through!

Laurie T.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassOctober 22, 2016

We took my dad to Rhine Hall for his birthday. I'd never heard of Rhine Hall before searching for distilleries in Chicago. We were skeptical because of the location, but it was AWESOME. The woman who did the tour was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor, which made the tour one of the best I've ever be on. The mixed drinks were wonderful! In total we had 6 different drinks and each one was fabulous. If you're on the fence about Rhine Hall, go for it! You won't regret it.

J D.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassJune 30, 2016

This place is amazing. We are from out of town and heard about this place from friends.Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Wonderful tour and learning about the fabulous stories behind the great drinks.

Iggy I.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassDecember 22, 2015

pretty small but nice clean bar/ brewery. Can't remember the drink(s) that i had but it was fun nonetheless. Good people behind the bar as well. I'd go back.

Mary T.

Grappa and Brandy Cocktail ClassFebruary 9, 2015

One of the things we love to do when we travel is tour local breweries, distilleries, etc. Yes, we like our booze. When we opted for a staycation, I started looking at local places to tour that were a convenient trek from our hotel and stumbled upon Rhine Hall.

I'm not sure how long it would've taken Rhine Hall to pop up on my radar, but I'm glad it did. We arrived a little early and enjoyed a drink at the bar. They have a small, but interesting cocktail list; he went with the old fashioned and I went with the Bixby's Double. The bartender was helpful describing the drinks, which meant we each ended up with one we would enjoy.

Our tour was approximately 10 people and hosted by Jenny, the daughter in the father-daughter Rhine Hall team, although the whole operation is a family affair. Having been on several liquor tours, there wasn't much that was new about the process, although it was still interesting to hear. What I enjoyed most was learning the Rhine Hall story, how one family's hobby turned into a thriving business and hearing how much heart they've put into their product.

If you're like me and have never heard of the place, I suggest you become familiar with this local up and comer in the craft spirits space.

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